Now that we have taken a look at the best low calorie dairy snacks, it’s time to move on to part 2: Best low calorie crunchy snacks. Let’s review the basic criteria for a ‘healthy’ snack? Keep the following in mind when choosing your snacks:

Are relatively low in sodium; strive to limit the sodium in your low-calorie snacks to 400 mg or less

Are nutrient-rich: a good food source of protein, dietary fiber and/or key vitamin and minerals (such as iron, vitamins A, C or calcium)

Offer a little something extra: are available in calorie-controlled portions, contain no high-fructose corn syrup and little added sugar; are gluten or lactose-free, have added omega-3 fatty acids, etc…

These snacks are all about convenience – they are widely available and take no preparation time/work. Another benefit of these snacks is that they are all healthy for a vegetarian/vegan.

Snacks: Top 3 low-calorie crunchy picks

Crispy snacks: Best pick

Popcorn, Indiana Sea Salt Chip’ins: ‘Popcorn’ chips are the hottest new snacks in the chip aisle. They are made with simple, all natural ingredients: corn, sunflower oil, and sea salt. They are ‘popped’ instead of baked and have an extra crispy texture. These crunchy snacks are whole-grain based and gluten-free. They come in a variety of other flavors, such as Classic BBQ and White Cheddar. A 1-oz. serving of the Sea Salt Chip’ins provides 120 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated/trans fats, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber and 230 mg sodium. For an extra nutrition boost, make a homemade salsa for dipping with diced tomato, red onion, jalapeno or Serrano pepper, lime juice, chopped cilantro and a dash of pepper, sea salt and cumin (optional) to taste.

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